Thursday, June 17, 2010

You won't find Opposition if you're going with the grain

This might be the most important lesson our Kenya Team learned this year. If you're not pursuing radical obedience to God, then why would the adversary try to impede your progress?

So many people avoid taking any type of steps of faith, and then nothing happens in their life. So they end up with a luke warm faith that has little or no impact on their lives and their relationship with God is much the same.

My sister-in-law says that you spell FAITH R.I.S.K. and I'm inclined to agree. It was a risk to go to another country for the sake of the gospel.

And we met resistance. From plane delays and a near 2 day postponement to our initial flight, to lost luggage, to police and military security checks along the roadside, to frustration, negativity and disagreement within the team, to serious illness...we had a wide variety of obstacles.

But 15 kids going up to their school teacher after our group wrapped up their HIV-AIDS teaching and telling him that they wanted to make a decision to follow Jesus...that's what happens when obedience perseveres. Over 400 people receiving medical care at a medical camp for the underresourced...that's what happens when obedience perseveres...Massages given to grandmothers as old as 100 years of age, whose bodies were beaten, broken and deformed from years of selflessness...that's what happens when obedience perseveres. Bringing grief counseling to a group of women who never took the time to weep and grieve over loved ones they had buried and watching God open up their tear ducts so that they could finally deal with the loss of spouses, children, grandchildren and friends...that's what happens when obedience perseveres.

So the question we have to answer is what RISK God is calling us to for His glory and for His kingdom? And will we choose obedience or mediocrity?

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The Thompsons

We are a family that desires to trade in our small story for His grand story. We are following God's call to plant a church in Columbus, Ohio. This journey has almost cost us our daughter, but we are confident that He has called us...and that He is enough. And all it takes to change the world is a little bit of mustard.